One of Nintendo’s comparatively newer franchises is Xenoblade Chronicles, which began in 2010 for the Wii. The series’ third entry, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, is about to grace the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo, as per their tradition, highlighted the game in a Nintendo Direct video presentation revolving around it, showing fans what awaits them.

XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 2 COMING NEXT MONTH, NINTENDO DIRECT DETAILS THE GAME

Monolith Soft, the developer behind the series, worked on the Xenogears series under Square and the Xenosaga series under Namco. Xenoblade is the fruit born from their collaboration with Nintendo, and Nintendo first unveiled Xenoblade Chronicles 2 early this year.

Our heroes in Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Our heroes in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Image: Nintendo/Monolith Soft)

Owing to its name, this Xenoblade installment will more closely channel the original Xenoblade Chronicles, offering players an engrossing narrative that will propel our heroes along. The Direct began by introducing the core cast, as well as by explaining the dynamic between our two lead protagonists, Rex and Pyra. She halved her life in order to save Rex’s, and she requested his help in getting to the mythical Elysium. However, a group with a questionable agenda has their sights set on impeding our heroes, and they seem to have a particular interest in Pyra. And who’s Mythra?

As with its predecessors, 2‘s world, Alrest, will consist of many vibrant, unique environments for Rex to explore. Hostile beasts roam the wild, friendly folk can be visited in commercial districts and cities, and landmarks are discoverable, which players can effortless warp to upon locating.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Image: Nintendo/Monolith Soft)

Prepare for a Chain Attack, because Xenoblade‘s battle system is back in full force, building upon its success. This time, there are two primary classifications: Driver and Blade, with Pyra falling into the latter camp. Blades augment Drivers with additional abilities, and these skills can affect your adventure in-battle and out of battle. Drivers, such as Rex, can sync with several Blades, so you’ll need to experiment to see which combinations work best for you.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will launch on December 1 for the Nintendo Switch. Moreover, dedicated fans can purchase an Expansion Pass for $29.99, offering five pieces of content:

  • new support items slated for December 2017
  • new quests for the main game sometime in January 2018
  • a new rare Blade sometime in Spring 2018
  • a new challenging battle mode next summer
  • a new storyline and campaign next fall

Finally, those who own The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can download a new sidequest right now, granting them a costume modeled after Rex:

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Link's Rex costume in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Link’s Rex costume in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Image: Nintendo/Monolith)

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